New Ulm weekly review., 1887-08-24
A STEADFAST FLAME.
BY JAMES FRANKLIN Fits.

tary or general factotum OF the mil
lionnaire, John Rawlinson. How and
where he picked me up and attached
me to him is OF no consequence, for
the story has no relation to myself.
Yet the episode may be of some value
as showing something OF him.
1t happened at the Parker House,
Boston. I had come to the city to
look up a rich relative, from whom I
had reason to expect profitable en-
ployment- Standing at the desk I
registered in that large, round back
hand that is part Of me. I turned to
step away and saw that heavy man
with q dull-looking face, relieved by
piercing little gray eyes, had been look
ing over my shoulder.
"Hold on sir,' he said. ~ want
ito see you.'
He seized the pen, scored off the
name ''John Rawlinson'' in a Grabbed
hand, and asked me to step into the
reading-room with him.
He motioned me to Ia chair, and
took one himself Then without a
word, he stared at me for a full min-
sute.
The oddity OF the thing struck me.
i laughed.
you'll know me when you see me
again, l hope" was my remark.
u "Iou write just as old Max Bert
used to-" he said. Max was my con-
fidential clerk years ago. He fell into
the lake at Chicago and was dro wned.
want you to write my letters. Who
are you, anyway"
Poor young fellow; no relatives;
college ge-bred-eh!"
''No relations but the uncle / came
here to look for, and I'm not sure
that he will acknowledge ME. I never
saw a college; and as for poverty
when pay for my dinner, l don't
know where I shall get another"
The strange man deliberately ended
his inspection of me.
81 rather like your face; [ certainly
like your account OF yourself. ]
haven't any relatives, either; they do
man no good. l hate colleges, be
cause they take bright young fellows
and make coDceited asses out OF them.
Istarted poor, and like to see others
do the same. DO you want good em-
ployment?"
''Above all things, sir.'
"I'll give you $500 the first year,
and pay your expenses to go with me,
write for me and attend to my inter
ests generally
accepted the offer on the spot.
@1ou ought to understand, sir, that
I'm called eccentric; and when man
worth a million gets that name, there
must be something In it. And ther
Pm travelling about all the time
You'll go where I go. Does this change
your mind?''
''No, Sir"
every we'll: Come ieto dinner.
pay the bills"
Before the end of that year we :hac
lourneyed many thousands Of miles
by railroad, steamboat and stage II
thirteen states. My business connec
tions with him lasted almost thre.
years.
During all the time had never dis
covered that John Rawlinson had L
permanent home. We stopped a.
hotels. never knew hi1n to make
VISIT to any person except strictly il
the way of business. ] soon began tt
i see that he was avoiding the peopl
who had known him in the past years
( He never breatbed a word to me o
his previous life, nor did he encourag
my talk on anything except business
[ found abundant occupation ii
writing his letters reading and brief
ing up his mail, which followed him
over the country, and taking curefn
notes Of all the information that h,
collected. His business WAS entire
iy the seeking OF promising invest
mefts IN real estate | have under
stood. since then, some OF his shrewd
ness and foresight. Dozens of thrivin.
cities exist now, where ia that day
was nothing but the virgin forest O
prairie: very few of them but were
marked in advance by Mr.. Rowlin
sons keen eve as promising sites; anl
| have no doubt that these timely in
vestments have Increased his millions
ten fold
One day at a hotel in southwest.
ern city q gentleman accosted him
spoke nisname and offered his hand.
Mr.. Rawlinson returned his saluta
tion indifferently, made some casua
remark and turned abruptly away.
| followed the stranger out on The
street. s
Tell me something OF that mar
you spoke to, " said. II have beer
in his employ for months, and / CAM
learn anything about him. =
He was a grain operator in Chica
go. They said that he had mad,
money there, and knew enough te
quit with it.. That's all know o
him.
Hasn't he had some trouble9''
Some family difficulty, / believe
His wife died. If remember right. Bul
! can recall any thing of it. =
When business did not occupy him,